RPO Symphony 101 Opens with the Classical Era

September 15, 2009

Rochester, NY – The popular Symphony 101 series with Music Director Christopher Seaman and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra kicks off this year’s set of concerts with music from the Classical Era on Friday, October 2 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 4 at 2:00 pm, both at the Performance Hall at Hochstein.

The composers Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven are inextricably linked, and this concert also will show how those relationships translated into the composers’ music. Haydn, considered the primary example of the “classical” composer, was a friend of Mozart’s and a teacher of Beethoven. The RPO will perform excerpts of symphonies by Haydn (Nos. 44 and 104), Mozart (Nos. 25 and 39), Beethoven (No. 2), and his complete “Leonora” Overture, No. 3.

This season’s Symphony 101 Series focuses on four groundbreaking periods in the history of music when composers were writing some of their most influential music. These engaging and innovative one-hour concerts feature discussion, musical examples, selections from significant works, and complete pieces. Following each concert, Mr. Seaman takes questions from the audience. New this year will be a Symphony 201 concert with pianist Misha Dichter joining Christopher Seaman to demonstrate the style of “Theme and Variations” using Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Special $10 student pricing is in effect for the Sunday Symphony 101 performances. All other general admission tickets are $24, available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org, by phone (454-2100), in-person from the RPO Box Office, and at area Wegmans. A convenience fee may apply. RPO Box Office hours are 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Saturday (non-concert Saturdays, 10:00 am-3:00 pm).

RPO performances are made possible in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; the State of New York; Monroe County; and the City of Rochester.